Volcan Poas

Greetings on a stormy Sunday afternoon here in San Jose! I had a pretty mellow but satisfying weekend. After work on Friday I headed home to stay in for the evening, knowing I would have to get up early the next morning to catch a bus to go hiking at the Poas volcano. I spent the evening painting, watching Patricia make a cake, and cleaning my room. My life here is certainly different from a typical Friday night in St. Paul! It was great to be in bed by 10:30 though. 

On Saturday morning I got up around 6:15, thanks to my stress-inducing fear of being late. After getting ready and having to run to the ATM to get some cash out, I hopped on the bus that heads downtown, which is where the bus station I needed to get to was. I went there not totally sure where this said station was located, but with luck on my side I discovered it was just across the street from where I was dropped off. What a relief! I ended up arriving there at 7:30 for an 8:30 bus ride - so I had a lot of waiting around to do. I was happy when another American couple around my age showed up about a half hour later. A few things marking their nationality: shorts (rarely worn by tico's), an REI bag and water bottle, and bright blonde hair. All are rarities here. They sat next to me and soon we started talking, asking the typical questions to find out why you're here, where you've been, how long you're here for... we might as well have been talking about the weather! But I really love meeting other travelers and hearing their stories. They're also a great source of information and recommendations! These two were from Oregon but going to school in Montana, studying abroad here for a semester. Soon we were on the bus, beginning a 2 hour drive to the volcano. I really like time on the bus because it's such a nice time to really relax and listen to my iPod without fear of it getting stolen. And these seats were much more comfortable than those of other buses!

We made a 20-minute stop at a roadside "comida tipica" stand, a pattern that I'm starting to see among bus drivers. There are so many little shops and stands along the way to big tourist attractions, and I see why now as every bus driver I've had so far has stopped at one of these stands. It's nothing spectacular, but the drivers like to stop to get food and talk with the locals. An additional little piece of culture added into every trip. 

Around 11 we arrived at Poas, and I was ready to get going. I had been told to get to the volcanoes early to have the best visibility before the clouds come in, but there was little I could do to decide when I would get there. I rode the only bus going to Poas for the day. After about 20 minutes of hiking I arrived at the lookout point over the crater of the volcano and was surprised by what I saw. I'm not sure what I was expecting to see, but this wasn't it. I suppose I always imagine a volcano as being a tall cone-shaped mountain with a point at the top where the lava comes out, but in all reality when you're at the top looking down on it the "point" is much larger than expected. The volcano is currently active so there was a lava lake in the middle and smoke coming out of it, but there hasn't been any real activity in around 40 years. Luckily, it didn't choose Saturday to become active. I was a bit bummed because as I had been warned, it was pretty cloudy and foggy so I couldn't see all that clearly. After taking a number of photos I started on my way to a nearby lake, which was my favorite part of the day.

The trail to the lake was a really nice trail with trees and vines creating an arch overhead. Along with the chilly air in the high altitudes and fog swarming around, I felt as if I were in Alice in Wonderland and expected the Rabbit to jump out at any moment. On the hike I met a group of Canadian girls who are here for 10 weeks building a community center and teaching some english classes. They told me stories of their make-shift housing situation and I was very thankful for the nice house and family that I am staying with. I am certainly getting spoiled with food and care in my living situation! They asked where I was from and before I was even able to answer, one of the girls said "Minnesota." I asked her how she had known that and she told me that she knew right when I said 'Habitat for Humanity.' Just when I thought I was getting better! 

When we arrived at the lake the clouds and fog were even worse than they had been at the volcano. There was not a speck of lake to be seen through the dense clouds, so we took some pictures of where the lake would have been and I continued on my way back to the visitors center a little bummed. At the main area there was a coffee shop to boost my spirits. Although I don't drink coffee, the complete lack of coffee shops to hang out at in Costa Rica is surprising, especially considering the amount of coffee beans they produce here. After a coffee (did I really drink a cup of coffee??), a walk around the art gallery and watching a movie on the volcano that I hadn't been able to see, I noticed the sky was clearing. With an hour left before I had to get back on the bus, I decided to try my luck and a better viewing of the volcano. 

What a difference an hour can make! I got back to the outlook point to see spectacular views of the crater. I could see past the volcano to the town below, to the mountains behind, and clearly into the middle. It was great and I was very happy I had decided to try again. With luck being on my side currently, I decided to head to the lake with hopes that the clouds had cleared there. And they had! The lake was very pretty, but also a typical lake. We've got a few of those in Minnesota. Except this lake used to be a crater that had become inactive and become a lake, so that made it a bit more unique. After enjoying the clearness of the day and view, I hiked back to the main area where the bus would pick us up. Hiking in that high of elevation was VERY difficult. Although I consider myself a bit of a stairmaster at the gym back home, I was huffing and puffing as if I had just climbed the whole volcano from the bottom. Looks like I've got some more training to do before I consider climbing a mountain! 

I got back just in time to catch the bus and enjoyed the ride home. Seeing the countryside is always interesting because there is so much poverty and improper housing along the roads. It creates a lot of motivation for me at my job with Habitat for Humanity to see with my own eyes how inadequate the houses are that people live in. The people standing outside the houses are equally depressing, looking at the bus and those inside like they wish they could hop on and drive away from their houses, never to return. It makes this volunteer position all the more meaningful. 

After an amazing 11 hours of sleep last night, I have spent the day reading my book feeling the breeze of a Costa Rican afternoon come in the open windows. It's these moments that make me realize how lucky I am to be here and what a great experience this has been so far and how much more is to come. I spent the afternoon at Plaza Mayor, the mall near our house. I use the term "mall" loosely, but it's the closest we have. I needed some groceries and to get out for a bit. This evening I will be going to an international church which is led by my old pastor in St. Cloud, Stacey Steck. I really like going here because for 1 hour I am surrounded by other Americans and have a sense of familiarity and comfort. I knew Stacey and his wife fairly well in St. Cloud, so that is another wonderful support system I have here. It's a great way to wrap up my weekend and start my week ahead. How did this become such a long post? I'm sorry. I miss fall in Minnesota so much! Jump in a leaf pile for me. 

Finally, Beach Time!

After a long wait, I have finally be re-united with my love, the ocean. After my time in Australia I developed a serious need for the beach, and after 2 years I have finally come back. I spent my weekend in Manuel Antonio, which is one of the most gorgeous beaches in all of Costa Rica. It's on the southwest coast of Costa Rica, about 3 1/2 to 4 hours by bus. 

I left work Friday and went straight to the bus stop in downtown San Jose which would take me to Quepos, the small town next to Manuel Antonio. Now, bus rides aren't expected to be the most comfortable form of transportation, but in a foreign country where I don't have a car and only had to pay $5 for a ticket, it was without a doubt the best option. I didn't know what I was in for. The bus quickly became packed with kids, tourists, and locals. By packed I mean 10-15 people standing in the aisle at any given time. By some grace, I was able to get a window seat both to and from Manuel Antonio, so I definitely had one of the better seats. But then we hit the mountain roads. And there, a window seat was NOT so optimal. I had been warned multiple times by people, websites and articles not to look out your window when going through the mountains on a bus. They were not kidding. Those mountain roads are dangerous and unforgiving, and that bus driver was showing no mercy. Guard rails, open edges, we were speeding along just the same. And I had no control. But like a bad accident, I couldn't look away.

After finally getting to Manuel Antonio that night and checking into my hostel, Vista Serena, I arranged all my things and hit the sack pretty early, getting ready for an early morning. But as hostels usually go, I didn't get a good nights sleep between people slamming doors, coming, leaving and talking at all hours of the night. Rising around 6:30 Saturday morning, I went to the main area of the hostel to get directions before walking to a bus stop and catching the bus to the park. Against my better judgement I ended up taking a guided tour through the rainforest. This ended up being a very good decision. Along withe 3 Germans, a Swiss, 2 Israelis, a Costa Rican and 2 Japanese, we were a UN group of sorts being shown the wildlife and plants of the area. I wouldn't have noticed about 90% of the things that Ricardo, the guide, showed to me and as I watched a group of white-faced monkeys play in front of me I decided the 20 dollars was well worth it. I saw everything from monkeys to alligators to spiders and sloths, along with breathtaking beaches and forest. 

After the tour I hit the very un-populated beaches with 4 other girls and finally got that salt water in my hair. It was so fun to spend time with some Europeans, and when they spoke German it didn't even phase me because I'm becoming so used to hearing other languages that I don't necessarily understand. 

By mid-afternoon we decided to head back to the main area to get showered and I had to go to the bus station to get a bus ticket for the next day. Around 6 I re-convened with the 4 other girls for a wonderful dinner at a restaurant called El Avion. Not only was it called the Airplane, there was a legitimate airplane inside. It was a wonderful dinner with a great atmosphere and equally great company. By the end of dessert I was ready to get back to my hostel and get to sleep, so I said my goodbyes and headed back.

Sunday morning, after packing my backpack back up, I headed back on the bus for another day at the beach. This time I decided I would stay on the main (free) beach. It's much busier and bustling with people trying to sell you beach towels or necklaces, but for the most part still a relaxing day. There were a number of surfers there, and watching them is always good entertainment. I met a great surfer who had the tiniest kitten who couldn't have been more than 2 weeks, so I cuddled with her while watching beach soccer and surf. I met up with the 4 girls from the day before again, playing in the waves and getting some color. Turns out this Minnesota skin is not suited for Costa Rican sun, no matter how much sunscreen you apply. A little red, I had a really had a hard time leaving and atmosphere that I love so much. Thankfully it's always just a $5 bus ride away. Another drive home on a packed bus and a driver whipping around the edges of a mountain, I was finally home late last night. And I don't think the e-mail I sent the second I walked in the door was soon enough for poor mom, sitting by the Skype all night waiting for my call. I'm sorry, mom! Remember: no news is good news. 

Costa Rican Independence Day

Lucky me! This year, I got to celebrate independence not only in the United States but also in Costa Rica. Today, September 15, was the day Costa Rica became independent from Spain. Guatemala proclaimed independence from Spain for all of Central America on September 15, 1821. So there is a little history lesson for all of you! To celebrate, people walk to the town of Cartago, and there is a huge celebration with fireworks and parades from the night of the 14th, through the night, and into the 15th. It's a national holiday, so few people had to work today. Yahoo! 

I was a little hesitant to go downtown this morning because I didn't really know what was going on or where to go. So, with the advice of a co-worker at HFHI, I went to a park called La Sabana. I had never been, but I have heard it's a huge gorgeous park. I hopped on the city bus (which I am getting more comfortable with) and rode until I saw the park. That seems to be how my bus rides have been going in general - ride until something looks right. This park was gorgeous! A ton of huge trees and people playing just about every kind of sport you can think of. Soccer of course, basketball, tennis, inline skating, sand volleyball, not to mention horse rides, kites, bike riding, runners... the list just goes on. I was so happy the moment I stepped inside this park - I know this is somewhere I can go on the weekends to run or just read when I don't head out of town. It's not especially safe to go running around the neighborhoods, so this came as a great surprise! 

I was also happy because the atmosphere here was very family-friendly and safe so I was able to take my camera finally. I wish I could take it out more without worrying about theft! I had a lot of fun taking pictures of soccer games - there were about 10 going on at all times, since that is without a doubt the sport of this country. Everyone is VERY enthusiastic about it and take losses by their professional team VERY hard. After walking around for a few hours and the death of my camera battery I decided I was ready to find the bus home. Buses are a tricky thing here because I'm never really sure where to find the bus going to opposite direction I came from. I generally just wander around until I find a green bus that is going in the right direction. On the way to the bus I got a drink from McDonalds. For my McDonalds drink and a little Spanish conversation I was able to get directions to the closest bus stop from a homeless woman with 3 teeth. Never underestimate the power of Orange Fanta!

Standing at the bus stop, I was quickly reminded that I was a light haired woman when a homeless tico walked up to me and asked where I was from. Out of politeness I answered "Minnesota" and he proceeds to tell me that he graduated from the University of Minnesota. At first I assumed he was pulling that out of nowhere. After all, it wouldn't take much to assume there is a University of Minnesota there. However, when he asked if I had been to Mankato, I thought maybe he had actually gone there. He told me he got a Masters from there but his life went downhill when he started turning to the bottle. Because he seemed nice and polite, I gave him 200 colones (only about 34 cents), the cost to get a bus ride to another town. After another 1/2 hour of waiting, with no bus in sight, I gave in and took a cab ride home. Maybe next time I'll find that bus. 

200 Meters South of the Gas Station, 50 Meters North of the Round About

The title of this blog is how Ticos (Costa Ricans) give directions. To those of you who were wondering what my address is here, that may be about as specific of an address I have. If you're feeling experimental you can mail me a rock to this address and see if it gets to my house. Even businesses don't use addresses, simply something like "Calle 16, between Aviendo 2 and 3." That did not make my trip to downtown San Jose go so smoothly today. Mom and dad, you may want to be sitting down before you read on. 

Yesterday I found myself wondering what I was going to do this weekend, as there is very little to do in San Jose and I hadn't made plans to travel elsewhere. Upon the suggestion of one of my American roommates to go downtown, I hopped on the city bus because I needed to go there to get a bus ticket for next weekend anyways. Not really knowing where I was going or when to get off, I had put a lot of trust in her directions! The bus ride there was surprisingly easy and I ended up getting off where everyone else got off. Stepping off the bus, I felt fairly comfortable in my surroundings - a park, a few bigger stores and a lot of people around. 

Walking in the general direction of where I thought the bus station was, the atmosphere and dynamic changed quite and bit and I was suddenly a gringa (a non-derogatory term here for a white person) in the middle of Latin America. People surrounded me, selling everything from suckers to hairbands, underwear and earrings. Homeless people carpeted the sidewalks, some awake and begging, some sprawled across the cement sleeping. I was rather taken aback when a homeless man actually grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him, asking for money. It was then that I realized my Dona had given me warning to "tengas cuidado"...be careful. I was even more nervous because this morning I had wanted to bring my camera along with me to snap some shots. It was now clear that taking that out would only increase my odds of being robbed - a chance that was already heightened because of my light hair and skin as well as my gender. 

After a bit of wandering, I found the bus station which ended up being very close to the bus stop, thankfully. However, I couldn't find the ticket station. Luckily, this is a very popular backpacker area (as it is the main bus station in Costa Rica), so I sought out the first gringa I could find. Upon asking her where I could buy a ticket, she brought me over to where she had boughten one and helped me. The girl, Greta, had just missed her bus to Manuel Antonio (which is where I'm going next weekend), so she had a few hours to kill before the next one came. We decided to explore the city together. Her missing her bus ended up being a sort of blessing in disguise for both of us because now we could see San Jose without the danger of walking alone. 

We took off with no real direction or agenda as we didn't know the city well. Downtown ended up being less interesting and eventful than I had hoped, with the majority of stores being junk stores filled with clothing or useless nic-naks. We did manage to find a coffee shop (a MAJOR rarity around San Jose) and an art gallery which had beautiful but spendy paintings. We also went into the Teatro Nacional, the only building in San Jose with any architectural significance. This is the only spot I felt comfortable taking out my camera (photo above), which is unfortunate because I was really hoping to get some pictures of downtown culture.

Walking back to the bus station, Greta and I were using our best sense of direction to return us to where we had come from. Obviously failing us, we found ourselves walking down what could very well be the worst street in San Jose. Again, mom, you may want to scroll past these few sentences. As we walked through a neighborhood of drugs, homelessness and dangerous stares, we tried our best to look as if we knew exactly where we were going and what we were doing. Hopefully it worked. As I stepped over and around homeless men sleeping on the street I prayed that we would get out of this area sooner rather than later. Thankfully, once we came around the next corner, we could breathe a sigh of relief and give the slightest laugh at what we had just encountered. 

Finally dropping Greta off at the bus station, I decided I had gone through more than enough for the day so I walked back to where the bus had dropped me off and waited for the next one going in the direction of my home. Hoping I had used my Spanish correctly to ask the driver where he was going, I hopped on and sat into the corner seat, getting smashed against the window when a morbidly obese man squeezed into his seat and half of mine. As we drove down the road and I felt the sweat trickle down my calf I had a major revelation... I'm not in Australia anymore. This has certainly been a drastically different experience from my study abroad trip!

To end on a brighter note, I'm signing up for a volunteer program that brings it volunteers to different national parks for the weekend where I will be doing anything from picking up litter to preserving the habitat of sea turtles. This seems to be an opportunity to go away for a few weekends for little money and with guidance. I'm not sure if anyone will even be reading this long, long blog entry at this point, so Happy Saturday! 

Habitat para la Humanidad and Beyond

Greetings from this humid, humid country! It's amazing, after my walks to work in the morning at 8 am I find myself wishing for a fan to relieve myself from the humidity. But I really can't complain about the weather! We're supposed to be in one of the most wet seasons of the year but there has been an unusual low amount of rain. From what I hear, we should get a full dose of precipitation in October - good thing I brought a raincoat! 

Last Sunday I went to a little town about an hour north of San Jose called Sarchi. I hitched a ride with 2 American girls and a Canadian man, all of who are teaching English, as well as a tico (Costa Rican). Christian, the tico, had a car so we were able to squeeze in there. It was GREAT to get out of the city for the day and see more of Costa Rica, and obviously there is quite a difference in geography between here and Minnesota! We ate at an adorable restaurant that made me feel like I was in a tree house before walking around the city, admiring the mountains and artwork around the streets that almost seemed Scandinavian. 

Work is going very well! I started this past Monday, September 4th, and am loving it already. I work in an office of about 50 people, but there are only 6 in my department so even in a big office there is a sense of community. Again, I find my head swirling as they have conversations in fast, fluent Spanish but I am learning quickly! I don't have my own computer or e-mail address yet so the actual work being done is less productive than I would like but from what I hear the computer will be there tomorrow! Keeping my fingers crossed. 

On Wednesday we built a shack for a display at World Habitat Day, which is on October 5th. This day is put on by a number of organizations all over the world, not just Habitat for Humanity. The day is dedicated to reinforcing and bringing attention to the need for sustainable, economical housing around the world. As I become more informed on the mission, history and reason behind Habitat for Humanity I am learning the statistics of unsuitable and slum housing is staggering. On October 5th we will set our shack up at a park in downtown San Jose - I'm getting very excited for this event!

Tomorrow is Friday which means I have almost been here a week, which feels both long and short. I have encountered so many new situations that it seems like I've been here far longer than a week, but at the same time the days have just been flying! I'm so exhausted at the end of every day that I have lights out around 10. This will certainly be different than my study abroad experience in Australia! I hope you all have a great weekend, I will be around San Jose! Maybe I'll do the planning to get out to the beach the following weekend. Buenos noches!

Safe Arrivals

Greetings from Costa Rica! After a much needed nap this afternoon, I got a chance to snap a couple photos of the house that I'm living it. It seems to be a great situation, with a woman named Patricia, her husband, her son, and two other American girls who are here to teach English. I wasn't aware there would be any other Americans living here so that was a pleasant surprise. Almost as surprising as when I found out my host family spoke VERY little english - only single words or a few words put together. I will be picking up this Costa Rican spanish faster than I thought! This morning I got a taste of  typical Costa Rican breakfast (rice, beans, scrambled eggs, tortilla and pineapple) followed by a taste of the neighborhood on a walk with Patricia, where I saw my Habitat office. A trip to the Farmers Market with a couple fellow Americans immersed me in the San Jose culture, and in typical Costa Rican style, the weather didn't stay dry for long. We barely got back before the rain started coming down in sheets. Tomorrow I will be going to an international church where my old pastor from St. Cloud is currently working. Buenos tardes!